2018 AJFF On Campus: Emory University

About AJFF on Campus

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, in partnership with Emory University, is proud to present a three-day version of the annual festival on Emory’s campus. This 3-day mini-fest, October 28–30, features past AJFF film favorites, special guest speakers, as well as an Opening Night reception. Presented at Emory University's White Hall, AJFF On Campus is open to students, faculty, and staff, as well as the general public.

See the Full Lineup

Family dysfunction breeds hijinks and hilarity when a Jewish-Palestinian couple comes home to meet the parents in Only Human, a gloriously irreverent Spanish screwball comedy in the tradition of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Leni (Marián Aguilera), a television news reporter, has returned to her home in Madrid to introduce her parents to her Palestinian fiancé, Rafi (Guillermo Toledo). At first, the couple tries to hide Rafi's cultural identity from her kooky family, but in due time it comes out. Complications quickly escalate, and the rising tensions threaten to split Leni and Rafi apart. Will love triumph amid the larger politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

With excellent performances from an ensemble cast, including Argentine film star Norma Aleandro as Leni's mother, Only Human brilliantly reworks an age-old story of cultural divides with a modern twist reflecting some of today's most salient geopolitical and social issues.

Includes a Spanish-themed cuisine reception immediately following the film at approximately 8:30 PM.

Fanny’s Journey
Narrative • Belgium, France • 2016 • 94 minutes

A brave, resourceful young girl leads a small band of orphans through Nazi-occupied France in Fanny’s Journey, a coming-of-age drama bristling with suspense and poignancy.

Following the arrest of their father in Paris, Fanny and her younger sisters Erika and Georgette are sent to a boarding school in France’s neutral zone. Their safe haven is only temporary however, and the Jewish students are whisked away to another institution where they come under the care of the tough but tender Madame Forman (César-winning actress Cécile de France). As danger advances yet again, the children’s fate is entrusted to 13-year-old Fanny who fearlessly treks through the countryside on a perilous mission to reach the Swiss border, with only wits and solidarity to guide her. Joined by an ensemble of talented child actors, newcomer Léonie Souchaud shines in the titular role of Fanny. Filmmaker Lola Doillon’s handsome production is further bolstered by impressive period details and fine camerawork.

An old-fashioned family entertainment that brings history alive for the next generation, Fanny’s Journey is based on an autobiographical novel by Fanny Ben-Ami.

The LawNarrative • France • 2015 • 90 Minutes

The art of legislative deal-making becomes riveting political drama in The Law, the true story of France’s tenacious health minister and her groundbreaking struggle to legalize abortion.

César Award-winning actress Emmanuelle Devos delivers a smoldering performance as Simone Veil, the French lawyer and politician who survived the Holocaust to emerge as a champion of women’s rights. Appointed health minister in 1974 by Prime Minister Jacques Chirac (Michaël Cohen), she faces strong opposition from the Catholic Church and her own factionalized party in pushing landmark legislation to decriminalize abortion in France and end dangerous back-alley procedures. With just a few days to debate the issue before a final vote, anti-abortion activists launch a craven campaign of stinging personal and anti-Semitic attacks. As the unflappable Veil and her allies maneuver around the religious and moral minefields, events are closely chronicled by a crusading photo-journalist (Flore Bonaventura) who is waging her own feminist fight for recognition.

Portending the emotionally charged battle over reproductive rights that continues to this day, The Law unspools backroom negotiations and parliamentarian maneuverings with briskly-paced direction and stylish production design.

The descendants of Nazi war criminals confront the wartime sins of their fathers in this bracing and illuminating examination of inherited family shame and denial.

The film’s narrator is international human rights attorney Philippe Sands who, while researching the Nuremberg trials, befriended the sons of high-ranking Nazi officials Hans Frank and Otto von Wächter. Though their fathers were complicit in mass killings during the Holocaust, sons Niklas Frank and Horst von Wächter possess starkly different attitudes toward their family lineage. Niklas remembers his father as a figure of unambiguous evil and has spent much of his life denouncing his father’s actions. In contrast, Horst recalls a loving upbringing clearly at odds with the cruel machinery of the Final Solution. Past and present collide as the men’s uneasy journey together culminates in a chilling revelation in Ukraine.

What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy is winner of the Yad Vashem Chairman’s Award for Best Feature at the Jerusalem International Film Festival.

Screening includes a post-film Q&A

East LA InterchangeDocumentary • USA • 2015 • 57 Minutes

Historical events and government policies threaten an iconic neighborhood in East LA Interchange, an affecting, powerful examination of gentrification and the implications for shifting U.S. demographics.

The oldest neighborhood in East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights for decades was proudly multi-ethnic, where working-class families of Jewish, Latino, Russian, Japanese and African-American descent melded into a vibrant tapestry of shared ideals. This idyllic existence was shattered by Japanese internment camps in WWII, racially restrictive housing laws, and construction of North America’s largest freeway system. Residents and activists reveal Boyle Heights’ metamorphosis from a close-knit community of distinct groups, to a landscape of institutional and structural blockades. By humanizing a story of activists fighting suburban homogeneity, documentarian Betsy Kalin uses Boyle Heights as a microcosm for Americans everywhere, who are affected by discriminatory public practices and city planning run amok.

East LA Interchange is a cautionary tale of the promise and peril of American progress, a call for reform, and a celebration of a rich multi-ethnic legacy.

Screening includes a post-film Q&A with filmmaker Betsy Kalin

Campus Map and Where to Park

All screenings during the 2018 AJFF On Campus take place in White Hall 208.

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is an independent non-profit arts organization that continues an active partnership with its founding agency,
American Jewish Committee. Both organizations share a common commitment to strengthen Jewish life and foster intergroup understanding among
Atlanta's diverse cultural, ethnic and religious populations.

Need Help With Ticketing

Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Monday, January 27 at 10:00 AM EST.

To purchase tickets online, simply navigate to the various film(s) you wish to order, select the desired screening, add to your cart, and then click to either “Continue Shopping” or “Proceed to Checkout.”

If you are a Member or Sponsor, be sure to login with your account at AJFF.org/login to redeem your benefits and reserve your tickets.

For further assistance, please contact the AJFF Box Office at 678-701-7104.

Standby Ticketing

“Standby Only” means tickets are currently unavailable for a specific screening. However, we encourage you to periodically check the website or inquire with the Box Office at 678-701-6104. Additional tickets may become available.

The Standby List

If you are unable to secure tickets to the desired screening in advance, try the standby list. Those wishing to add their name to the standby list can do so in person, on the day of the screening at the theater venue. No email or phone requests will be accepted. Unoccupied seats will be released at show time, as available.